Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas CEO Tim League said in a live chat Monday he cannot define an opening date until construction begins. League said his company must nail down permitting, licensing and construction before being able to announce an opening date.

League said patrons should expect a similar layout in the building's lobby, where a bar will replace the traditional concessions counter. The building's exterior won't see dramatic changes, but inside, the theater will transform from a 14-screen theater with seating for about 2,800 people to a 10-screen theater with seating for about 900 people. Some auditoriums will be equipped for 3D films.

"In the auditoriums there will be tables at every seat and lots more legroom," League said in a live chat at www.mlive.com/kalamazoo Monday.

In response to a question about job openings, League said he plans to hire about 100 people, with most of those hires happening closer to the opening. He said more jobs should be posted on the company's website and Facebook page in about a month.

One question asked was whether the company plans to hire any former Rave Cityplace 14 employees. Rave Cityplace 14 closed in November, which gave Alamo the opportunity to lease the building at 180 Portage St.

"They are most certainly welcome to apply," League said of former Rave employees. "We need some experienced theater folks, so it is likely that we will, should they choose to apply. Having people familiar with the building would be a benefit, too."

Steve Deisler, president of downtown development company Downtown Kalamazoo Inc. asked League what businesses tend to locate next to Alamo Drafthouse theaters in other cities. Currently, there are several unoccupied retail spaces surrounding the building.

"Our theaters generally drive a lot of foot traffic, so there are a lot of folks who like to move in near us: ice cream shops, cafes, bars, coffee shops, bookstores, video stores (granted those last two are getting rare these days) and independent retail," League said. "We really like to cross promote with local business and neighbors too, so I'm happy to help recruit."

Emily Monacelli is a local government reporter for MLive/Kalamazoo Gazette. Contact her at emonacel@mlive.com. Follow her on Twitter.